Queerfest Hosts LGBTQ+ Artists from Nashville and Beyond | Aug. 11 @ Dee’s & Aug. 12 @ The Basement East & The 5 Spot

Initially founded in 2021 as Queerfolk Fest, but since widened to a broader range of genres and renamed simply Queerfest, the local celebration of LGBTQ+ identifying artists returns this weekend as an expanded two-day, multi-stage event, boasting 13 great performers between showcases Friday, Aug. 11 at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge and Saturday, Aug. 12 at The 5 Spot and The Basement East! You may have noticed the Queerfest moniker attached to other shows since last year’s event, as organizers have been very active in both curating and spotlighting events in the local queer music scene (check out their social media links at the bottom of this post to stay in the loop).

Though not explicitly a folk-centric festival anymore, Queerfest still has plenty of folk and America in its ethos, particularly the first night at Dee’s, but also boasts some stellar pop, r&b, soul, indie, and more, with a stacked lineup of The Collection, Marielle Kraft, Skout, Madeleine Kelson, Julia Cannon, JB Somers, Sydnee Conley, Gina Venier, Dani-Rae Clark, Justin Hiltner, Olivia Rudeen, Summer Joy, and Great Aunt across both days and all three venues. Though predominately local, a handful of performers are here on tour, like North Carolina indie pop outfit The Collection, who headline the Saturday show, and Australian country folk duo Great Aunt, who head up The 5 Spot show.

Tickets for the inclusive, 21+ event are available here, and if full festival passes sell out, any remaining tickets for Dee’s and The 5 Spot will be sold at the door. Preview the entire lineup below!

Friday, Aug. 11
Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge | 6pm

JB Somers